The Evolution of Sneap's Sound

[lolzgreg]

Every producer/engineer seems to drift toward particular sounds at certain times in their career.

I feel that Andy has made strides in preserving "honesty" in metal music. Whenever I listen to a Sneap mix, it reminds me that some bands really can play and take pride in their music; it reminds me not everything needs a billion effects, and 86 thousand plugins; it reminds me that audio is still an art, and Andy's canvas looks more like a photograph than a painting to me.

Does anyone get what I'm talking about.

Discuss

 

[JeffTD]

Honestly, I think most of Andy's 'sound' comes from him being a straight-up metal guy and metal guitarist first and foremost. Obviously he's talented as fuck, but he just really knows what works and has ears for stuff in a metal context like no other.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Good thread!
I See three phases in his sound.
Representative for one I'd say was DHIADW, burn my eyes, the gathering.
Representative for the second one was TGE, doomsday machine
And then we have the new Sneap sound, where sound differs much more between the records, more natural again overall, darker guitar sounds...still very sneapish.
And then there are the phase transitions, TEOHA between 1+2 and Formation of Damnation between 2+3.
That's extremely simplified of course, one could split it up further, up to the point, where every production is a new "phase", but those three would be the roughest grain imo

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

I absolutely agree with everything said. What I love about his stuff is that it just sounds like there isn't 200 plugins, 200 drum busses going to different parallel compressors, it just sounds "simple", no overusage of anything whatsoever, he just has this sensitivity towards what works for metal

 

[DanLights]

Yeah, can definitely agree. I can listen to an album and think "Hey this sounds like it was done by Sneap", but not necessarily because it sounds like other albums done by him, but you can always notice the special way he has that brings each band to life in its own way, the attention to detail in terms of each band's own sound, apart from signature-ish stuff that shows up often, like dark guitars, that half natural, half smacking your face off snare, etc.

 

[PD-Baraka]

i allways liked Shadows Are Security. has a fake sound yes, but very listenable and upfront at the same time.

 

[Siriun]

Agree with everything in this thread thus far.

A big one that comes to me is Trivium's 'Ascendancy' (2005). That
album had amazing production and mix for the time being and to this day
the mix slays.

If I'm not mistaken, I do believe Andy has done mixing work for Cradle Of Filth, too.

i allways liked Shadows Are Security. has a fake sound yes, but very listenable and upfront at the same time.

I never thought that album sounded fake at all. To me it was a very up-front and in your face kind of record. Very intense.


ALSO:

I could've sworn Suceof mixed Chimaira's Resurrection!

 

[Jordon]

I've noticed with Andy's mixes, things just sound "right," if that makes sense. So many ME's that I admire have mixes that I love, but also have mixes that I can't stand. Andy's work, even if I don't love the particular mix, is still consistently enjoyable and just feels cohesive.

 

[Rex Rocker]

I don't think Shadows Are Security sounds fake at all either. Those guitars sound incredible. I hate to use "raw" to describe a mix that I like, but as far as Sneap mixes go, the guitars in that record sound pretty unique.

 

[JeffTD]

Weird, I love SaS but I do find the drums to sound incredibly fake/oversampled; IIRC Andy said that he received only samples + overhead/room tracks for the drums, didn't receive original drum tracks at all.

 

[Mattayus]

I love how in the past he was seen as someone who was taking all the feel and realism out of mixing music, and now he's one of the remaining few that makes metal sound natural. His no-nonsense approach is definitely something I will always strive to employ.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Oh! Yeah... the pre-sample-replaced drums thing with Shadows... I remember that. I personally feel they're alright and not *overly* mechanical, at least in context of the genre, but yeah... kinda, I must admit.

BTW, which other Sneap mixes do you guys find similar to Shadows Are Security? It's my own personal favorite, and I kinda have a hard time thinking of another of Andy's mix that sounds like it, particularly, the guitars...

 

[crillemannen]

Oh! Yeah... the pre-sample-replaced drums thing with Shadows... I remember that. I personally feel they're alright and not *overly* mechanical, at least in context of the genre, but yeah... kinda, I must admit.

BTW, which other Sneap mixes do you guys find similar to Shadows Are Security? It's my own personal favorite, and I kinda have a hard time thinking of another of Andy's mix that sounds like it, particularly, the guitars...

KsE sounds a bit similar to Shadows. Kind of the same era, smaller thinner snares then he do nowdays.

 

[Mago]

Oh! Yeah... the pre-sample-replaced drums thing with Shadows... I remember that. I personally feel they're alright and not *overly* mechanical, at least in context of the genre, but yeah... kinda, I must admit.

BTW, which other Sneap mixes do you guys find similar to Shadows Are Security? It's my own personal favorite, and I kinda have a hard time thinking of another of Andy's mix that sounds like it, particularly, the guitars...

Ascendancy is the closest I'd say, but it focuses on different elements.


To me Sneap mixes never sounded mechanical/fake...just as it has beeing said, for me they also sound like the band is "supposed" to sound...wacky explination, but I hope you get what I mean.

The newer kind of Sneap mixes sound more natural again compared to the older ones. But now that editing guitars to fucksville and back is so popular with all the post-hardcore type bands Sneap mixes should sound natural to everyone, also to those guys who said it sounds fake haha

 

[Mattayus]

The newer kind of Sneap mixes sound more natural again compared to the older ones.

Yeah, but I think the advancements in sampling technology has got a lot to do with that, as well as it just being an evolution of his style.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Great thread. +1 to most posts here. Purchasing the latest Sneap-mixed CD and listening for the first time is usually the highlight of my day. And his mixes somehow keep getting better.

 

[Terminus]

Getting that snare sound on The Gathering has been a goal of mine lately. Smack. So clear, up front and doesn't overpower everything else.

 

[CubanDude]

mh.. i wouldn't consider the exodus guitar sound as "dark".. but I think andys exodus work is something on it's own, those albums sound quite unique.. I guess it's also because the band itself is kinda special, the way they arrange and write songs as well as how they play their instruments. those mixes sound really "clear" in terms of separation (not saying that the others don't sound separated or clear).

 

[plague_rider]

First time I was aware I was listening to a sneap mix was doomsday machine, that was the point I started looking into previous stuff he'd mixed...

But doomsday really inspired me, mainly the drums, just so epic!!

 

[Melb_shredder]

Getting that snare sound on The Gathering has been a goal of mine lately. Smack. So clear, up front and doesn't overpower everything else.

Blah! The Gathering is still my PINNACLE Sneap mix. All the depth, brutality and still something so raw about the overall vibe.. Amazing!